Hallucinogenic Amphetamine Selectively Destroys Brain Serotonin Nerve Terminals
Science September 6, 1985 G.a. Ricaurte, Guy K. Bryan, L. Strauss et al. 367 citations
The amphetamine analog MDA, which has hallucinogenic effects, causes long-lasting reductions in serotonin levels, serotonin uptake sites, and a serotonin metabolite in rat brains. Morphological evidence suggests these changes result from degeneration of serotonin nerve terminals. These findings indicate MDA is toxic to serotonin neurons in rats and raise concerns about whether MDA and similar hallucinogenic amphetamines could cause serotonin neurotoxicity in humans.